CN115726639A - Door handle device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The door handle housed in the vehicle door is exposed to the outside of the vehicle so as to be openable when an abnormality occurs in the vehicle, thereby improving the visibility of the door handle when an abnormality occurs in the vehicle and facilitating the opening of the vehicle door. A door handle device for a vehicle is provided with: a door handle that is disposed in a vehicle door, that is capable of switching between a stored state in which the door handle is stored in the vehicle door and an exposed state in which the door handle is exposed from a front opening of the vehicle door, and that permits an opening operation for releasing a lock of the vehicle door in the exposed state; a door handle actuator that switches a door handle between a stored state and an exposed state; an abnormality detection unit that detects an abnormality of the vehicle; and a control unit that controls the door handle actuator so that the door handle is switched from the stored state to the exposed state when the abnormality is detected.

Description

Door handle device for vehicle

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a door handle device for a vehicle mounted on a vehicle.

Background

In recent years, door handles for vehicles, which are so-called pop-up type for improving the aesthetic appearance and aerodynamics of vehicles, have begun to spread. The door handle is switchable between a stored state in which the door handle is stored in the vehicle door and an exposed state in which the door handle is exposed from a front opening of the vehicle door and extends to the outside of the vehicle. In the exposed state, the door handle is opened by an operator, and the vehicle door can be unlocked.

For example, in the door handle device for a vehicle described in patent document 1, if the door handle is pushed toward the inside of the vehicle in the stored state, the door handle is extended to the outside of the vehicle and moved to the exposed state. In such an exposed state, if the door handle is pulled toward the outside of the vehicle, for example, the lock of the vehicle door is released and the vehicle door is opened.

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2017-66605

Disclosure of Invention

However, in the stored state of the door handle, the door handle remains stored in the vehicle door and does not protrude to the outside of the vehicle, and therefore a person who does not know the vehicle structure from the standpoint cannot immediately find the door handle or know how the door handle can be operated, that is, how the vehicle door can be opened. Therefore, for example, when an accident occurs in the vehicle, the rescuer takes time to open the vehicle door, and the possibility of delay in rescue of the occupant in the vehicle is increased.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a door handle device for a vehicle, which exposes a door handle housed in a door for a vehicle to the outside of the vehicle so that the door handle can be opened when an abnormality occurs in the vehicle, and which facilitates the door handle to be recognized and the door for the vehicle to be opened when an abnormality occurs in the vehicle.

One aspect of the present invention is a door handle device for a vehicle, including: a door handle that is disposed in a vehicle door, and that is switchable between a storage state in which the door handle is stored in the vehicle door and an exposed state in which the door handle is exposed from a front surface opening of the vehicle door, and that permits an opening operation for releasing a lock of the vehicle door in the exposed state; a door handle actuator that switches the door handle between the stored state and the exposed state; an abnormality detection unit that detects an abnormality of the vehicle; and a control unit that controls the door handle actuator so that the door handle switches from the stored state to the exposed state when the abnormality is detected.

According to this configuration, when an abnormality of the vehicle is detected, the door handle is switched from the stored state to the exposed state. Therefore, the door handle housed in the vehicle door can be exposed to the outside of the vehicle so as to be openable when an abnormality occurs in the vehicle, and thus the door handle can be easily found when an abnormality occurs in the vehicle, and the vehicle door can be easily opened.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a door handle device for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the door handle device for a vehicle according to the embodiment in a state where the door handle is stored.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the door handle device for a vehicle according to the embodiment in an exposed state.

Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a control flow executed in the door handle device for a vehicle according to the embodiment.

Detailed Description

Next, a description will be given of a specific embodiment of the door handle device for a vehicle according to the present invention.

The door handle device 1 for a vehicle according to the present embodiment is mounted on a vehicle and operates a door handle provided in a vehicle door 2.

The vehicle door 2 is a door for boarding and alighting a vehicle passenger, and can be opened and closed with respect to a vehicle body. The vehicle door 2 can be locked (locked) by the locking device 3 in a state of being closed with respect to the vehicle body. The vehicle door 2 can be opened with respect to the vehicle body in a state unlocked (unlocked) by the lock device 3.

For example, the lock device 3 switches the vehicle door 2 from the locked state to the unlocked state when a predetermined unlocking operation is performed by establishing wireless communication between the outside of the vehicle and a portable key carried by a regular vehicle user, when an unlocking operation is performed by a regular vehicle user through wireless communication between the outside of the vehicle, when an opening operation is performed on an inside door knob, or when a predetermined time (for example, several tens of seconds or several minutes) has elapsed since a later-described abnormality such as a vehicle accident has occurred. The locking device 3 switches the vehicle door 2 from the unlocked state to the locked state, for example, when a locking operation is performed on an in-vehicle locking knob, when the vehicle starts traveling and reaches a predetermined speed (for example, 20 km/h), when a predetermined locking operation is performed by establishing wireless communication between the outside of the vehicle and a portable key carried by a regular vehicle user, when a locking operation is performed by a regular vehicle user through wireless communication between the outside of the vehicle, or when an abnormality occurs in the vehicle described later.

The vehicle door 2 provided with the door handle may be a tailgate instead of the boarding door, or may be a cylinder head, a door cover for closing a fuel fill port or a charging port, or the like.

As shown in fig. 1, the door handle device 1 for a vehicle includes a door handle 10, a door handle actuator 20, a control device 30, a main power supply 40, and an auxiliary power supply 50.

The door handle 10 is an operation unit that is operated by a person to open the vehicle door 2. If the door handle 10 is opened, the locked state of the vehicle door 2 with respect to the vehicle body is released, and the vehicle door 2 is opened. As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the door handle 10 is formed in a handle shape so as to extend in the horizontal direction. The opening operation of the door handle 10 by a person may be, for example, an operation of pulling the lid portion 11 of the door handle 10, which will be described later, with a force of a predetermined degree or more toward the outside of the vehicle with respect to the support portion 12, or a contact operation or a non-contact operation that can be detected by a touch sensor or the like disposed on the back side of the lid portion 11 of the door handle 10.

The vehicle door 2 includes: a space 2a in which the door handle 10 can be housed; and a surface opening 2b that opens the space 2a to the outside of the vehicle. The door handle 10 is disposed in the vehicle door 2. The door handle 10 is attached to fit into the front opening 2b of the vehicle door 2, and can move forward and backward between the space 2a on the vehicle interior side and the vehicle exterior side at the front opening 2b. The door handle 10 may be moved forward and backward in the vehicle interior/exterior direction as a whole of the door handle 10, or may be moved forward and backward in the vehicle interior/exterior direction with one end side in the longitudinal direction of the door handle 10 as a fulcrum and the other end side in the longitudinal direction thereof.

The door handle 10 is switchable between a stored state and an exposed state. The stored state is a state in which the door handle 10 is stored in the space 2a inside the vehicle door 2, and specifically, a state in which a lid portion 11 described later closes a front surface opening 2b of the vehicle door 2 to be flush with the front surface of the vehicle door 2. The exposed state is a state in which the door handle 10 is exposed from the front surface opening 2b of the vehicle door 2, and specifically, a state in which the lid portion 11 protrudes outward from the front surface of the vehicle door 2.

In the stored state of the door handle 10, a person cannot open the door handle 10 and cannot open the vehicle door 2 from outside the vehicle. On the other hand, in the exposed state of the door handle 10, a person can open the door handle 10 and can open the vehicle door 2 from outside the vehicle.

The door handle 10 includes a cover portion 11 and a support portion 12. The lid 11 is a lid that closes the front opening 2b of the vehicle door 2 in the stored state of the door handle 10. The lid 11 is formed in a shape matching the front opening 2b of the vehicle door 2. The support portion 12 is a rod-shaped portion that supports the lid portion 11. The support portion 12 is supported relative to the vehicle door 2 so as to be able to advance and retract in the vehicle interior-exterior direction.

The door handle 10 has a so-called pop-up mechanism. That is, the door handle 10 mechanically moves forward to the outside of the vehicle and switches to the exposed state by pressing the cover 11 from the outside of the vehicle to the inside of the vehicle in the stored state. In the exposed state, the door handle 10 mechanically retracts to the inside of the vehicle and shifts to the stored state by pulling the lid 11 with a force smaller than a predetermined value toward the outside of the vehicle.

The door handle actuator 20 is an actuator that switches the door handle 10 between the stored state and the exposed state. The door handle actuator 20 is an electric actuator such as a motor that is operated by power supply. As will be described in detail later, the door handle 10 is switched between the stored state and the exposed state by supplying power to the door handle actuator 20 in accordance with a command from the control device 30.

The control device 30 controls switching of the door handle 10 between the stored state and the exposed state. The control device 30 is mainly composed of a microcomputer. The control device 30 includes sensors 31, an abnormality detection unit 32, a control unit 33, a drive unit 34, a main power supply determination unit 35, an auxiliary power supply activation unit 36, and a human detection sensor 37.

The sensors 31 are sensors that output signals indicating various states of the vehicle. The sensors 31 are, for example, an acceleration sensor that outputs a signal corresponding to the front-rear acceleration of the vehicle, an airbag control device that outputs a signal corresponding to the presence or absence of deployment of an airbag, a sensor that outputs a signal corresponding to whether a fire has occurred in the vehicle, a sensor that outputs a signal corresponding to whether the vehicle is immersed in water, an in-vehicle camera that outputs image data that images the interior of the vehicle (particularly, the face of the driver of the vehicle), a voltage sensor that outputs a signal corresponding to the voltages at both ends of the main power supply 40, and the like. The sensors 31 are not limited to one sensor, and may be configured by a plurality of sensors. The output signal of the sensor 31 is supplied to the abnormality detection unit 32.

The abnormality detection unit 32 is a portion that detects an abnormality of the vehicle. The abnormality detection unit 32 detects an abnormality occurring in the vehicle based on the signals from the sensors 31. The abnormality of the vehicle is an emergency state such as a vehicle accident in which it is likely that a vehicle occupant including a vehicle driver is difficult to get out of the vehicle, and includes, for example, a vehicle collision, deployment of an in-vehicle airbag, loss of awareness of the vehicle driver, and a power supply voltage of the main power supply 40 being lower than a predetermined value. The detection result of the abnormality detection unit 32 is supplied to the control unit 33 and also supplied to the auxiliary power supply activation unit 36.

The controller 33 controls the door handle actuator 20. The control unit 33 controls the door handle actuator 20 based on the locking/unlocking of the vehicle door 2 by the locking device 3, the detection result of the abnormality detection unit 32, and the like. In particular, when the abnormality of the vehicle is detected by the abnormality detection unit 32, the control unit 33 controls the door handle actuator 20 so that the door handle 10 is switched from the storage state to the exposed state.

The drive unit 34 is a part that drives the door handle actuator 20. The controller 33 supplies a drive signal to the driver 34 to control the door handle actuator 20. The drive unit 34 drives the door handle actuator 20 in accordance with a drive signal from the control unit 33.

The main power supply 40 is a power supply that supplies drive power to the door handle actuator 20. The main power supply 40 is a main battery or the like mounted on the vehicle, and can supply electric power to lamps and the like other than the door handle actuator 20. The main power supply 40 is connected to the drive unit 34. The door handle actuator 20 is driven by the drive unit 34 using electric power supplied from the main power supply 40.

The auxiliary power supply 50 is a power supply that supplies driving power to the door handle actuator 20. The auxiliary power supply 50 may have a capacity that enables at least one switching from the stored state to the exposed state of the door handle 10 by the door handle actuator 20. The auxiliary power supply 50 is, for example, a small lithium ion battery, a nickel metal hydride battery, an all solid state battery, a capacitor, a manganese battery, or the like.

The auxiliary power supply 50 is connected to the driving unit 34 via a switch 51. The switch 51 is turned on/off according to whether or not a condition that the supply of the driving power from the auxiliary power supply 50 to the door handle actuator 20 should be performed is satisfied. When the switch 51 is turned on due to the satisfaction of this condition, the auxiliary power supply 50 supplies drive power to the door handle actuator 20. When the above condition is satisfied, the door handle actuator 20 is driven by the electric power supplied from the auxiliary power supply 50.

The main power supply determination unit 35 is a portion that determines whether the main power supply 40 can normally supply the drive power to the door handle actuator 20. Main power supply determination unit 35 determines whether or not main power supply 40 is normal, based on, for example, whether or not the power supply voltage of main power supply 40 is lower than a predetermined value, whether or not the system of main power supply 40 is disconnected, and the like. The determination result of the main power supply determination unit 35 is supplied to the auxiliary power supply activation unit 36.

The auxiliary power supply activation unit 36 is a portion that electrically connects the auxiliary power supply 50 to the door handle actuator 20 and supplies driving power from the auxiliary power supply 50 to the door handle actuator 20. The auxiliary power supply activation unit 36 controls on/off of the switch 51 based on the detection result of the abnormality detection unit 32 and the determination result of the main power supply determination unit 35. Specifically, when the abnormality of the vehicle is detected by the abnormality detection unit 32 and it is determined by the main power supply determination unit 35 that the main power supply 40 cannot normally supply the drive power to the door handle actuator 20, the auxiliary power supply activation unit 36 turns on the switch 51 so as to perform energization from the auxiliary power supply 50 to the door handle actuator 20.

The human detection sensor 37 is a sensor that outputs a signal corresponding to whether or not there is a human in the surroundings of the vehicle. The human detection sensor 37 is, for example, a vehicle exterior camera or the like that outputs image data for capturing images of the outside of the vehicle. The person detection sensor 37 is disposed in the vicinity of the vehicle door 2, and is provided to detect a person approaching the vehicle door 2. The output signal of the human detection sensor 37 is supplied to the control unit 33. As described later, the controller 33 controls the door handle actuator 20 based on a signal from the human detection sensor 37.

Next, the operation of the door handle device 1 for a vehicle will be described.

First, a normal operation of the door handle device 1 for a vehicle will be described.

When the vehicle door 2 is closed and locked with respect to the vehicle body, the door handle 10 is normally in the stored state. If no occupant is present in the vehicle, the locked state of the vehicle door 2 is maintained until a normal unlocking operation is performed outside the vehicle. In this locked state, if a person presses the lid portion 11 of the door handle 10 from the outside of the vehicle toward the inside of the vehicle, the door handle 10 is switched to the exposed state by the pop-up mechanism. However, since the vehicle door 2 is maintained in the locked state by the lock device 3 when the normal unlocking operation is not performed, the vehicle door 2 does not open even if the door handle 10 is opened in the exposed state. Therefore, even if the door handle 10 is switched to the exposed state by a person other than the authorized vehicle user, the vehicle door 2 is prevented from being opened. In the locked state, if a person pulls the lid portion 11 of the door handle 10 to the outside of the vehicle, the door handle 10 returns to the stored state.

On the other hand, in the locked state, if an authorized vehicle user carries the portable key and performs an unlocking operation outside the vehicle, the lock device 3 unlocks the vehicle door 2, and the control unit 33 controls the door handle actuator 20 so that the door handle 10 is switched from the stored state to the exposed state. If such processing is performed, the door handle 10 is in an exposed state. Then, if the door handle 10 is opened, the locked state of the vehicle door 2 is released and the vehicle door 2 is opened. Further, when the door handle 10 is opened after the transition to the exposed state, the unlocking of the vehicle door 2 by the lock device 3 in this case may be performed before the release of the locked state is performed.

Therefore, when the vehicle door 2 is closed and locked with respect to the vehicle body, and when a normal vehicle user unlocks the vehicle door 2 by an unlocking operation, the door handle 10 is switched from the stored state to the exposed state. Therefore, a normal vehicle user can open the vehicle door 2 by operating the door handle 10 to open immediately before riding in the vehicle.

Next, an emergency operation of the door handle device 1 for a vehicle will be described.

In the stored state of the door handle 10, the door handle 10 is stored in the vehicle door 2 so as to be flush with the surface of the vehicle door 2 and not project outward. Therefore, for example, when a vehicle abnormality such as a vehicle accident occurs, the rescuer cannot immediately find the door handle 10 or cannot recognize how to open the door handle 10 and can open the vehicle door.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, when an abnormality occurs in the vehicle, the door handle 10 is brought into an exposed state in which the opening operation is possible, and the door handle 10 is easily found and the vehicle door 2 is easily opened.

That is, in control device 30, sensors 31 output signals indicating various states of the vehicle. The abnormality detection unit 32 detects an abnormality of the vehicle based on the signals from the sensors 31. Specifically, control device 30 determines whether or not the airbag is deployed by abnormality detection unit 32 (step S100 in the flow shown in fig. 4), and also determines whether or not the vehicle driver is in a dangerous state such as unconsciousness (step S110).

When it is determined in step S100 that the airbag is deployed or when it is determined in step S110 that the vehicle driver is in a dangerous state, the control device 30 next determines whether the main power supply 40 can normally supply the driving power to the door handle actuator 20 by the main power supply determination unit 35 (step S120).

When it is determined in step S120 that the main power supply 40 can normally supply the drive power to the door handle actuator 20, the controller 30 then determines whether or not a person is present around the vehicle using the person detection sensor 37 (step S130). On the other hand, if it is determined in step S120 that the main power supply 40 cannot normally supply the drive power to the door handle actuator 20, the control device 30 turns on the switch 51 so that the auxiliary power supply activation unit 36 supplies power from the auxiliary power supply 50 to the door handle actuator 20 (step S140).

When it is detected in step S130 that a person is present around the vehicle, or when the switch 51 is turned on in step S140, the control device 30 next determines whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed since the abnormality of the vehicle was detected by the abnormality detection unit 32 (step S150). The predetermined time is a period of time during which the locking device 3 does not switch the vehicle door 2 from the locked state to the unlocked state immediately after the occurrence of an abnormality in the vehicle, or during which the door handle actuator 20 does not switch the door handle 10 from the stored state to the exposed state, and is set to, for example, several tens of seconds or several minutes.

When it is determined in step S150 that the predetermined time has elapsed since the occurrence of the vehicle abnormality, the lock device 3 unlocks the vehicle door 2 (step S160), and the control unit 33 controls the door handle actuator 20 so that the door handle 10 is switched from the stored state to the exposed state (step S170).

In this way, in the door handle device 1 for a vehicle, when an abnormality occurs in the vehicle, such as deployment of an airbag or unconsciousness of a driver of the vehicle, the vehicle door 2 can be unlocked and the door handle 10 can be switched from the stored state to the exposed state.

If the door handle 10 is in the exposed state, the door handle 10 is more easily found by even a person who does not have knowledge of the structure of the door handle 10 than when the door handle 10 is in the stored state. Further, in the case where the door handle 10 is switched from the stored state to the exposed state, it is not necessary for a person outside the vehicle to push the door handle 10 to the vehicle interior side. Therefore, even if a person cannot know how to switch the door handle 10 in the stored state to the exposed state by operating the door handle, the door handle 10 in the exposed state can be visually confirmed without being accompanied by the pressing operation of the door handle 10 to the vehicle interior side.

Further, if the vehicle door 2 is unlocked and the door handle 10 is exposed, it is easy to determine the method of opening the vehicle door 2 by a person outside the vehicle, and the opening operation of the door handle 10 protruding to the vehicle outside from the surface of the vehicle door 2 by the person outside the vehicle is promoted, and the locked state of the vehicle door 2 is released by the opening operation, and the vehicle door 2 is opened. Therefore, the vehicle door 2 can be easily opened.

Therefore, according to the door handle device 1 for a vehicle, the door handle 10 housed in the vehicle door 2 can be exposed to the outside of the vehicle so as to be openable when an abnormality occurs in the vehicle, and thus, it is possible to make a person easily find the door handle 10 and easily open the vehicle door 2 when an abnormality occurs in the vehicle. In this regard, when a vehicle occupant including a vehicle driver needs rescue from the outside without consciousness, the rescuer easily finds the door handle 10 and easily opens the vehicle door 2, and thus the time after the rescuer arrives at the vehicle until the vehicle occupant is rescued can be shortened.

Further, as described above, when the door handle 10 is exposed to the outside of the vehicle so as to be openable in the event of an abnormality in the vehicle, it is easy for a person to recognize the state of the door handle 10, and therefore, the door handle 10 can be visually highlighted by illumination, or the state of the door handle 10 can be determined audibly by outputting a voice from a speaker or the like.

In the door handle device 1 for a vehicle, when the main power supply 40 can normally supply the drive power to the door handle actuator 20 when an abnormality of the vehicle occurs, the drive power is supplied from the main power supply 40 to the door handle actuator 20, and the door handle 10 is switched from the stored state to the exposed state. On the other hand, when a vehicle abnormality occurs and the main power supply 40 cannot normally supply driving power to the door handle actuator 20, the auxiliary power supply 50 is connected to the door handle actuator 20 and supplies driving power from the auxiliary power supply 50 to the door handle actuator 20, so that the door handle 10 is switched from the stored state to the exposed state.

Therefore, for example, even when the main power supply 40 fails or a system of the main power supply 40 is disconnected due to a vehicle accident or the like, the door handle actuator 20 can be driven by the auxiliary power supply 50, and thus, the transition of the door handle 10 from the stored state to the exposed state can be ensured, and the opening of the vehicle door 2 can be ensured.

When an abnormality of the vehicle occurs, if the main power supply 40 can normally supply the drive power to the door handle actuator 20, after detecting that a person is present around the vehicle, the drive power is supplied from the main power supply 40 to the door handle actuator 20, and the door handle 10 is switched from the stored state to the exposed state. In such a configuration, when an abnormality of the vehicle occurs, the door handle 10 is maintained in the stored state even if the main power supply 40 can normally supply the driving power to the door handle actuator 20 until the presence of a person around the vehicle is detected.

Therefore, if the main power supply 40 is normal after the occurrence of an abnormality in the vehicle, the door handle 10 can be prevented from being switched to the exposed state when no person is present around the vehicle, and therefore, the switching of the door handle 10 from the stored state to the exposed state can be realized only at a timing required for the person outside the vehicle to be able to perform the opening operation.

Further, when the main power supply 40 cannot normally supply the driving power to the door handle actuator 20, the human detection sensor 37 may not normally operate due to a failure of the main power supply 40 or the like. Therefore, when the main power supply 40 fails to normally supply the driving power to the door handle actuator 20 when an abnormality of the vehicle occurs, the driving power is supplied from the auxiliary power supply 50 to the door handle actuator 20 to switch the door handle 10 from the stored state to the exposed state regardless of whether or not the presence of a person around the vehicle is detected.

Therefore, when the main power supply 40 fails to normally supply the driving power to the door handle actuator 20 when an abnormality of the vehicle occurs, the door handle 10 is immediately switched from the stored state to the exposed state by the auxiliary power supply 50, and therefore, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the door handle 10 is switched from the stored state to the exposed state as the human detection sensor 37 is not normally operated.

Even if an abnormality of the vehicle occurs, the vehicle door 2 is locked and the door handle 10 is maintained in the stored state until a predetermined time has elapsed since the occurrence of the abnormality, and thereafter the vehicle door 2 is unlocked and the door handle 10 is switched from the stored state to the exposed state. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the vehicle door 2 is unlocked and the door handle 10 is brought into the exposed state immediately after an abnormality occurs in the vehicle, and therefore it is possible to prevent the vehicle door 2 from being opened carelessly due to a collision immediately after an abnormality such as a vehicle collision during traveling.

Further, after the occurrence of the abnormality of the vehicle, even before the predetermined time elapses, the person can unlock the vehicle door 2, and an emergency release button or the like for unlocking the vehicle door 2 that can be operated by the person may be provided to the door handle 10 or the like.

However, in the above-described embodiment, the housed state of the door handle 10 is a state in which the door handle 10 is housed in the vehicle door 2, and the lid portion 11 of the door handle 10 closes the front surface opening 2b of the vehicle door 2 to be flush with the front surface of the vehicle door 2. The exposed state of the door handle 10 is a state in which the lid portion 11 protrudes outward from the front surface of the vehicle door 2 so that the door handle 10 is exposed from the front surface opening 2b of the vehicle door 2.

However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the stored state of the door handle 10 is a state in which the door handle 10 is stored in the vehicle door 2 so as not to be openable by a person, and the exposed state of the door handle 10 may be a state in which the door handle 10 is exposed from the front surface opening 2b of the vehicle door 2 so as to be openable by a person. For example, in a case where the door handle 10 is fixedly disposed at a position on the rear side of the front surface opening 2b of the vehicle door 2, a cover that can open and close the front surface opening 2b may be provided so that the state where the cover closes the front surface opening 2b is the stored state of the door handle 10, and the state where the cover opens the front surface opening 2b is the exposed state of the door handle 10.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

The present application claims priority to Japanese application No. 2021-140540 on 8/30/2021, and all the contents of the descriptions described in the Japanese application are cited.

Description of the reference symbols

1: door handle device for vehicle, 2: vehicle door, 3: locking device, 10: door handle, 20: door handle actuator, 30: control device, 31: sensors, 32: abnormality detection unit, 33: control unit, 34: drive unit, 35: main power supply determination unit, 36: auxiliary power supply activation unit, 40: main power supply, 50: an auxiliary power supply.

Claims (5)

1. A door handle device for a vehicle, in which,

the vehicle door handle device includes:

a door handle that is disposed in a vehicle door, and that is switchable between a storage state in which the door handle is stored in the vehicle door and an exposed state in which the door handle is exposed from a front surface opening of the vehicle door, and that permits an opening operation for releasing a lock of the vehicle door in the exposed state;

a door handle actuator that switches the door handle between the stored state and the exposed state;

an abnormality detection unit that detects an abnormality of the vehicle; and

and a controller that controls the door handle actuator so that the door handle is switched from the stored state to the exposed state when the abnormality is detected.

2. The door handle device for vehicle according to claim 1,

the abnormality detection unit detects that an airbag mounted on a vehicle is deployed as the abnormality.

3. The door handle apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1,

the vehicle door handle device includes:

a main power supply that supplies drive power to the door handle actuator;

an auxiliary power supply that is different from the main power supply and is capable of supplying driving power to the door handle actuator;

a main power supply determination unit that determines whether or not the main power supply can normally supply driving power to the door handle actuator; and

and an auxiliary power supply starting unit that, when the abnormality is detected and it is determined that the main power supply cannot normally supply driving power to the door handle actuator, connects the auxiliary power supply to the door handle actuator and supplies driving power from the auxiliary power supply to the door handle actuator.

4. The door handle apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1,

the control unit drives the door handle actuator to switch the door handle from the stored state to the exposed state when a predetermined time has elapsed after the abnormality is detected.

5. The door handle apparatus for vehicles according to claim 4,

the door handle device for a vehicle includes a lock device that locks the vehicle door when the abnormality is detected and unlocks the vehicle door when the predetermined time has elapsed.

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